Category Archives: Culture, or lack thereof
Naturally Imperfect
This might be old stuff to you, but our local grocer has started selling imperfect apples. It’s about time. My kids, who are properly brain-washed, love the smallish bruised apples and understand that these specially priced (Cheaper!) fruits are better … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees
Tagged apples, imperfection, perfection
1 Comment
Staying the Course
I had a great time helping teach Beginning Beekeeping to 40 new beekeepers this weekend. Our local bee club, Calgary and District Beekeepers, organized the 2-day event. I was invited to speak for three hours about Spring and Summer Hive … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach
Tagged bee course, Calgary Bee Club, teaching beekeeping
1 Comment
The Kentucky Bee Man
When you are the 8-year-old child of beekeepers and you’re helping stick foundation into frames, your pay is the soft translucent paper that keeps the wax sheets from sticking together. It was the closest thing to tracing paper that I’d … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People
Tagged bee equipment, Clarkson, Kelley Beekeeping, Kentucky, The Bee Man, Walter T. Kelley, wax foundation
4 Comments
What Do a Million Bees Look Like?
I hate to sound prickly and petulant, but the news media has done it again. Today, say the news folks, ONE MILLION BEES were removed from an Austin church. That’s a stupid statement. Someone working at the scene must have … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, Queens, Strange, Odd Stuff, Swarms
Tagged Austin, church, dumb newspapers, super swarms
1 Comment
Every Day is Labour Day
In Canada and the USA, a lot of people get a day off from work today. Unless your job is in a store, hospital, police station, prison, theatre, restaurant, hotel, airport, the military, or nuclear power plant. Or if you … Continue reading
Posted in Commercial Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, Honey, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Labor Day, Labour Day, value of honey
1 Comment
English lady with bad teeth reportedly steals honey
From the Manchester Police Twitter feed: Police in Manchester, England, are looking for a woman with big-hooped earrings and bad teeth. They say she may have stolen three jars of honey. The honey jars were priced at £46 each – … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged black teeth, sugar, tooth whitener
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Fair Honey
As a beekeeper, I have always been troubled with the disposal of honey. Invariably, we produced more than we could eat, especially since I ran as many as 2,000 hives. We had to get rid of the excess. Some went … Continue reading
Honey Bee Highways
Norway – the 2nd most liveable country in the world* – has yet another feather in its woolly cap. Or super on its hive, if you will. The Norwegians have a Honey Bee Highway. That’s a trail of flower pots … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Friends, Honey Plants, Humour, Save the Bees
Tagged Earl Emde, Norway, Oslo, planting for bees, Polli the Pollinator
2 Comments
Mr Holme’s Bees
Sherlock Holmes is more than an ordinary beekeeper – as you’ll find out in this summer’s new movie, Mr Holmes. I watched it at a Calgary theatre with my wife this evening. I’m glad we went. We don’t get out … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Movies, People
Tagged Ian McKellen, Mr Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, Ulee's Gold
2 Comments
Bees Prey at Church
In one of the most clever news headlines I have ever seen, editor Darcy Cheek of Ontario’s Recorder.ca writes: Honey bees go to Lyn church to prey. Any editor/reporter who can come up with a lede-line like that deserves mention. … Continue reading
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